


Nightfall and Daybreak

by rubylily



Category: Il Sole Penetra le Illusioni | Day Break Illusion
Genre: Caretaking, F/F, Illnesses, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-08
Updated: 2013-11-08
Packaged: 2018-01-05 07:49:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1091412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubylily/pseuds/rubylily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Akari falls ill, Luna stays by her side.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nightfall and Daybreak

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for bloodyvalentine, with disease/illness as the prompt.

The last thing Akari remembered was fighting a Daemonia.

It let out one final death cry, and the sound waves seemed to pierce her body like a million knives. She grew dizzy and started coughing harshly, and then her whole body went limp.

As she fell, she saw Luna rushing toward her, and then darkness overtook her completely.

* * *

Luna knelt at Akari's bedside. Akari was unconscious and heavily bandaged, and she was covered in sweat, as if she were in great pain. It had been hours since she, Luna, and the others had left the Astralux, but even after the Tendo sisters had examined and bandaged her, she still hadn't regained consciousness.

"Why isn't my healing working…?" Luna wondered aloud as she clutched Akari's hand tightly.

"That's because she's been infected by a Daemonia," Etia answered, and she and Ariel stood behind Luna. "It's like a virus, so the only way to be rid of it is for the infected person to fight it off herself."

Luna managed to tear her eyes away from Akari. "How… how long does that take?"

Ariel adjusted her glasses. "A few days at the most. Meltina and Priscilla both have suffered similar infections before, so they could tell you more."

"I see…" Luna lowered her face. "Thank you. I'll keep that in mind."

Etia lightly touched Luna's shoulder. "She will be fine. You know how strong she is."

"And you need to stay strong too," Ariel added. "You'll be no good to her if you collapse next to her."

Luna managed a smile as she nodded. "I won't push myself, I promise."

Etia and Ariel simply nodded in response, and then they exited the room, leaving Luna alone with Akari.

Luna returned her gaze to Akari's unconscious form and touched her face. Even through her gloves Luna could tell that Akari's skin was hot and clammy. The Tendo sisters had said that she had a fever of nearly forty degrees Celsius.

Luna bit her lower lip. Nothing like this had ever happened to them before. The four of them - Akari, Luna, Seira, and Ginka - had traveled the world for two years, and it was only recently they had returned to Japan. They had gotten injured many times, but nothing that Luna and the Elemental Tarot users of other Sefiro Fiore branches couldn't heal. But most of all, in those two years, Luna and Akari had fallen in love.

"Akari, please be well," Luna begged in a quiet voice. It had been a long time before she had been able to refer to Akari without an honorific. "I know you're strong, but I can't stand seeing you suffer like this…"

She brought Akari's hand to her face. The most she could do now was to stay by Akari's side so that when Akari opened her eyes, she would be greeted by the face of a loved one. Luna had grown stronger over the years, and now she would share her strength with Akari.

* * *

Akari dreamed, and the pain felt all too real.

Her entire body felt as if it were on fire, and her skin throbbed and ebbed like the heat was trying to break free. She couldn't even stand, and she curled into a ball and wrapped her arms around herself.

There was a vile taste in the back of her throat, like blood mixed with vomit. The creeping sickness in the pit of her stomach grew stronger, and her arms were stained with sweat and blood as she clutched her gut.

Something coursed through her body like a parasite, wiggling within her veins and beneath her skin. It hurt so much, but she couldn't let it break free. She had to hold it back until it was finally gone.

The darkness that surrounded her was deathly cold, and she shivered violently. However, even with her fever-stained vision, she saw a faint light in the distance.

* * *

Luna remained by Akari's side for nearly the entire day, and night was rapidly approaching. Akari slipped in and out of consciousness, never fully lucid, and earlier she had even vomited, nearly hitting Luna. However, she only stained her bed sheets, and the Tendo sisters were quick to exchange her soiled sheets for clean ones.

Fortunately, Akari had only vomited once, which made it easier for Luna to clean her. Every few hours or so Akari needed fresh bandages, and while she didn't bleed much, Etia and Ariel had told Luna that her wounds and sores would be prone to infection, so they would need to be cleaned regularly. Luna had accepted the task without complaint.

She gently washed an open sore on Akari's arm with a moist washcloth. The sore was a dark, greenish color, and a bit of pus oozed from it. It was certainly disgusting, and Luna held back a gag as she cleaned it thoroughly. She knew what could happen to infected wounds, and it would be even worse with Daemonia involved, so she had to be careful.

When the sore was clean, Luna placed a sterile pad over it and firmly wrapped a new bandage around Akari's arm. The bandages were mostly around her arms and legs, but there were also a few on her shoulders, chest, and back.

Akari moaned, and Luna wiped the sweat from her forehead with a dry piece of cloth. Her fever had yet to break, and pain was still clear on her flushed face.

"Please wake up, Akari," Luna said as she threaded her gloved fingers through Akari's pale hair. She would keep calling out to Akari as long as she needed to. "I love you…"

Akari's body stirred, and Luna's heart leapt. It didn't matter how long she had to wait for Akari to wake up; she would always believe in Akari.

* * *

The overbearing darkness pushed down on Akari as she tried to force herself onto her hands and knees, and she finally vomited, unable to endure the pain in her stomach any longer. The vile taste burned her throat as it flew from her mouth, splattering on the ground before her.

As she wiped her mouth, cuts and sores ripped open the skin of her arms and legs, bleeding and oozing profusely. She was also soaked in sweat, and she couldn't even see straight due to the heat in her head.

She wrapped her arms around herself as she suppressed her tears. She was in so much pain, but she had come too far to give up now, and there were still promises she had to keep. "Mom, Fuyuna… I'm sorry…" she whispered into the empty darkness.

_"Please wake up, Akari… I love you…"_

A voice cut through the darkness, and a bright light appeared before Akari. Although she had to shield her eyes, it was a warm, gentle light.

"Luna…" Akari forced herself to her feet, even though her legs still ached, and she walked toward the light. Even when she stumbled, she kept moving forward, despite the pain.

If she had the strength of the sun, she couldn't let darkness overcome her. She had learned that long ago.

* * *

It was past midnight now, and it took all of Luna's willpower not to fall asleep. Akari still needed her, and while the others helped too, Luna couldn't bring herself to leave Akari. Seira and Ginka were helping her to stay awake, but they had left to obtain more fresh bandages.

Luna rested against the side of Akari's bed. "I don't think I can stay awake much longer," she said with a weak smile. "But I'll be by your side, so I hope you have sweet dreams."

However, much to Luna's surprise, Akari's red eyes slowly opened. She blinked a few times, and then she sat up. "Huh… Luna?" she said as her gaze fell upon Luna.

Her energy restored, Luna shot up and embraced Akari, tightly yet carefully. "Akari!" she exclaimed. "I'm so glad you're finally awake!"

"How… how long was I out for?"

"Almost the whole day. It's past midnight."

"Wow…" Akari stroked Luna's long hair as she let out an awkward giggle. "Did you stay with me the entire time?"

"Yes, I did." Luna pulled back and then leaned in for a kiss, but she was stopped when Akari laid her index finger on her lips.

Laughing, Akari said, "When I'm all better. I don't want to get you sick, Luna." Even so, she did lightly kiss Luna's forehead, and a faint blush came across Luna's cheeks.

"Aw, we go to the trouble of getting new bandages and you wake up without us!" came Ginka's cheerful voice, and she and Seira stood in the doorway.

Akari smiled sheepishly. "Hi, you two. I'm sorry for worrying everyone."

"How are you feeling?" Seira asked as she and Ginka walked over to Akari's bed and set down the bandages they were carrying.

"I'll be completely fine in no time!" Akari promised with a bright smile. "I'm already feeling a lot better."

"That's wonderful," Luna said as she touched Akari's face. "We need you, Akari."

Akari raised her hand to touch Luna's, and then she rested her forehead against Luna's shoulder. "I need you too," she whispered in a voice so low just Luna heard her.

Luna could only smile. The four of them were strongest when they were together, and they had to remain strong so they could keep fighting and protect one another.


End file.
